From Bullied Bus Monitor to National Hero?

A YouTube video showing a group of New York middle schoolers taunt an elderly bus monitor topped 7,000,000 views days after it was posted on June 19.

The kids in the video use harsh language, at one point even telling the 68-year-old widow, "You don't have a family because they all killed themselves because they don't want to be near you." 

However, people have rallied to bus monitor Karen Klein's side. As the YouTube hits have shot up so too have donations in support of Klein, who, throughout the whole ordeal, did not show any emotion apart from holding back a few tears.

As of Monday night, 30,000 funders had donated more than $650,000 to an online account with the description, "Lets give her something she will never forget, a vacation of a lifetime!"

Some of the comments left on the fundraising website:

• Norm: My contribution is my vote against bullying. A fine example of grace under pressure by Karen.
• Benjamin: Heart goes out to you. I wish I was on that bus, I’d have put them kids in their place.
• Lindsay: Kids can be cruel. Your story moved us in Kitchener, ON, Canada

Patch wants to hear from you. What was your initial reaction to how the kids were acting on the bus? Do you think this kind of behavior can be prevented? Why do you think people responded so swiftly to Klein's situation?